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PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904;

W. T. GASTON.

l VEHICLE AXLE. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28.1903.

N0 MODEL.

mh. M

" UNITED STATES Patented February '2, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.-

qvE'HloLe-AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of" Letters Patent No. 751,278, datedFebruary 2, 1904,

" .ippiioain fiied .li'prii 2s, 1903. Serin No. 154,681. (No moda.)

To all whom t may concern,.- l Y Be it known that I, WILBERT TULLER GAS-TON, a citizen of theV United States, residing at Hackberry, in thecounty of Woodward and Territory ofOklahoina, have invented a new anduseful Vehicle-Axledof which the follow-A ing is a specification. v Theinvention relates to improvements in vehicle-axles. f

The object of the present invention is to im'- prove the construction ofvehicle-axles and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive oneadapted when'its bearing-surface has become worn to enablethe same to berenewed with little expense and great convenience.

A further object of the invention is to pro? l tion of a vehiclefwheelto unscrew it accidentally.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists vin theconstruction and novel combination and karrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wand pointedout inv the claims hereto( appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin lthe scope of the claims may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in venvtion.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of avehicle-axle constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectiveview of the thimble or skein. Fig. 4 is a 'detail view of the sleeve.Fig 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thegures of the drawings. Y l designates an axle-havinga reduced outerportion 2, provided with inner and outer threaded portions 3 and li,-adapted to engage interior screw-threads 5 and 6 of a thimble or skein 7Thescrew-threads are of the same diameter and pitchv andA those at eachend of the axle will be disposed in adirection oppo siteto that of therotation of the wheel, so that the wheel when rotating forwardly willnot operate to unscrewthe thimble or skein. The thimble or skein formsthe bearing of the axle and takes the place of the ordinary spindie, thethreaded outer end ofthe reduced portion of the axle being extendedbeyond the thimble or skein to receive an axle-nut. The Athimble has anexterior configuration similar to that of a spindle and is'provided witha longitudinal groove 7. -The inner portion of the thimble is providedwithan annular enlargement 8, adapted to lit into the inner end f ,of anaxle-box and provided Ywith an annular groove 9.

. The inner end of the thimble is provided -witha squared portion 10,and it has an annular flange 1l at the inner end thereof. The squaredportion l0 of the inner end of the thimble is of the same diameter asthe body .portion of the axle, and when the parts are assembled thefaces of the squaredportion are arranged flush with `the adjacent facesof the body portion of the axle. The shoulder l,forined by yreducing theaxle is preferably beveled, as shown at l2, and the adjacent end of thethimble is flared to fit the shoulder l2.

After the thimble is screwed on the reduced portion of the axle, withits exterior faces at its inner end flush with those of the body portionof the axle, a sleeve 13, which has been .previously placed on the bodyportion of the axle,is moved outward against the annular flange 1l toembrace or surround the squared portion l() and the adjacent portion ofthe body of the axle, whereby the lthimble is interlocked with the bodyportion of `the axleand is held against rotation. The sleeve 13,

which is provided with a square opening to conform to the configurationof the axle and the squared portion ofl the thimble, has a roundexterior and is adapted to receive a collar 14 for engaging the flange11. The flange 11 is provided with exterior screw-threads 15, and thecollar 14, which is provided with interior screw-threads to engage thoseof' the collar, has a shoulder 16 for engaging the flange 11. The sleeve13 is provided between its ends with an annular shoulder 17, and thecollar is provided with an approximately centrally arranged shoulder 18for engaging that of the sleeve, whereby the latterfis held firmlyagainst the fiange 11. The screw-threads of the flange 11 and the collar14 are the reverse of those of the axle in order to prevent the forwardrotation of the adjacent wheel from affecting the collar. The collar isprovided with an exterior polygonal wrench-receiving portion 19, and thesquared portion 10 of' the thimble is also adapted to receive a wrenchfor enabling the thimble to be readily removed when desired. The flange11 and the collar 14 form a shoulder to receive the inner end of' theaxle-box, which is closed by the flange and the collar to form adust-tight joint.

When the thimble becomes worn, it may be readily removed and a newthimble may be applied to the axle at a very small cost, and the presentdevice obviates the necessity and inconvenience of welding a new spindleto the body portion of the axle. Also the sleeve and the collarreinforce the' axle and the skein and provide a constructionsubstantially as strong as a solid spindle. The sleeve 13 is providedwith an extension 20, arranged at the bottom of' the axle and projectinginward on the same a sufficient distance to be engaged by the adjacentaxle-clip 21. The bottom extension is provided with a dependingprojection 22, forming ashoulder for engaging the clip-plate 23 ofl theaxle-clip, whereby the sleeve is interlocked with the latter. Theextension 2O is interposed between the clipplate and the lower face ofthe axle and is firmly clamped against the latter by the nose of theaxle-clip. The shoulder formed by the projection is located at andengages the inner edge of the clip-plate.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of' the class described comprising an axle having threads, athimble threaded to receive the axle, a sleeve detachably interlockedwith the thimble at one end and with the axle at the other end, wherebythe former is held against rotation on the latter, and means fordetachably connecting the thimble and the sleeve, substantially asdescribed.

2. A device ot' the class described comprising an axle provided withscrew-threads, an interiorly-tlneaded thimble arranged on the axle, saidaxle and thimble being provided with contiguous polygonal portions, anda sleeve conforming to the configuration of' the polygonal portions ofthe spindle and the axle and holding the former against rotation on thelatter, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising an axle havingscrew-threads, a thimble interiorly threaded to receive the axle andprovided with exterior screw-threads, a sleeve interlocked with the axleand the thimble to hold the latter against rotation on the former, and acollar engaging the sleeve and the screwthreads of the thimble,substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising an axle provided withscrew-threads and having a polygonal portion, a skein having acorresponding polygonal portion and provided with interior and exteriorscrew-threads and engaging those of the axle, a sleeve having apolygonal opening to receive the polygonal portions of the axle and theskein, said sleeve having an annular exterior, and a collar providedwith an annular opening to receive the sleeve and interiorly threaded toengage the exterior threads of the thimble, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising an axle having a reducedthreaded portion, a thimble arranged on the threaded portion of' theaxle and provided with an exterior annular flange having screw-threads,a sleeve interlocked with the axle and the thimble and having an annularexterior and provided with a shoulder, and a collar engaging theshoulder of' the sleeve and provided with screw-threads engaging thoseof the flange of the thimble, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising an axle having inner andouter screwthreads, a thimble having inner and outer threads to engagethose of the axle and terminating short of the end thereof, said thimblebeing provided at its inner end with a polygonal portion and having anexteriorlythreaded flange, a sleeve engaging the axle and the polygonalportion of the thimble, and a collar arranged on and engaging the sleeveand interiorly threaded to receive the flange of the thimble,substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described,vthe combination with an axle, andan axle-clip, of' a sleeve arranged on the axle and engaged by theaxle-clip, a thimble receiving the axle, and means for securing thethimble to the sleeve, substantially as described.

8. In a device of' the class described, the combination with an axle,and an axle-clip, of' a sleeve provided with an extension interposedbetween the axle-clip and the axle and engaged IOO IIO

IIS

by the former and provided at the inner side my oWn I have hereto afXedmy signature in lgf the saine Wilth rrojeclting shoulder, vlvherethepresence of two Witnesses. v

yitis'interoee Wit teeip,ati1nbe a A l arranged on the axle, and meansfor securing WILBLRT TULLER GASTON' i' the thilnble and the sleevetogether, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. E. O. MCCANN,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as JOHN W. GASTON.

